


The Noise Before Victory

by half_sleeping



Category: Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: Angst, Gen, sempai notice me
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-07-27
Updated: 2013-07-27
Packaged: 2017-12-21 12:00:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 702
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/900058
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/half_sleeping/pseuds/half_sleeping
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“Strategy without tactics is the slowest route to victory. Tactics without strategy is the noise before defeat.” - Sun Tzu</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Noise Before Victory

**Author's Note:**

  * For [chaco](https://archiveofourown.org/users/chaco/gifts).



“Oh,” said Nijimura-san, sticking his head into the club room and seeing Akashi still sitting there, completing the business of the club after having been delayed fielding reporters all day. They were getting more and more persistent, chasing the glory of the Generation of Miracles, running to the ground everything about five famous boys who played basketball like they loved it. “Finishing up? Give me a sec, I’ll walk out with you.”

Akashi assented with a nod of his head, then packed up with alacrity and waited. Even though Nijimura-san had left the club proper, and was occupied by entrance exams and his father’s health both, he still found the time to fend off the occasional scout, and at least speak to Akashi, though the senior avoided practices both out of general custom- to not distract the current regulars- and because Nijimura-san had always been careful to demonstrate that premature though Akashi’s captaincy, Nijimura-san had every faith in its success.

Akashi was glad, in a vague way, that Nijimura-san was not present to witness the progress of what could only give him pain.

Nijimura-san finished the last of his business in the locker room, and with a tilt of his head invited Akashi to walk along with him. Akashi walked with him slowly and in silence out of the school, past other teams finishing up their practice, past the lights still on the third gymnasium, past the gates and out along the road towards the convenience store that the rest of the team enjoyed frequenting. Every step devoured their time together.

Akashi thought over his options with regards to his fellow teammates. He felt the distinct and unmistakable urge to dispense with all this nonsense and crush dissent- confront the dissolution- as swiftly and without mercy as benefited Teikou, as benefited any team he was captain of. Victory was everything. Anyone who opposed him-

He also felt cold, though the days had warmed as spring came upon them. Nijimura-san showed no signs of recognising the lingering chill, however. His tie had been pulled loose and against Teikou’s light blue shirt the tan of his skin showed in his open collar. Sometime during the day, and as usual, Nijimura-san had pulled his shirttails out of his uniform trousers and neglected to neaten his appearance. His tie hung loose around his neck. The knot of Akashi's own tie lay heavy on his throat.

“Akashi,” said Nijimura-san, looking at him, alerted by something Akashi would rather he not have noticed. “Is something wrong?”

For a moment everything hovered on the tip of Akashi’s tongue, the team, the collapse, Daiki’s- Aomine’s- continued and depressing spiral, the comprehensive uselessness of the newly promoted first-string players, and how Kuroko and Momoi both stared at the play during practices with soft eyes and silent tongues, unable to voice their discomfort with a change they could not partake in. How the beginning months of Akashi's captaincy had been buoyed by Nijimura-san, acting as a beacon Akashi could not become. Akashi had victory, but victory was not going to be enough for his teammates, even if it was all that was needed in Teikou.

“No,” Akashi said. For the moment two level red eyes looked up- though just a little- at his former captain, at Nijimura-san's questioning face. He failed utterly to summon a small and sweet reassuring smile to his lips, as this would, more than anything, have alerted Nijimura-san to the lie. “No, Nijimura-san. There is nothing wrong.”

“That’s good,” said Nijimura-san. He smiled, and it was an older smile than Akashi was used to seeing on his face, more tinged with complications. He lifted a hand and patted Akashi on the shoulder once, as easily as he could have patted Akashi on the head in the past. “I knew you’d do a great job as captain.” Saying this, he turned in the direction of his bus stop, swinging his bag onto his shoulder and walking as he always did, unhurried, purposeful, and irresistible.

For all the intervening time since Akashi had last gazed at it, Nijimura-san’s back looked the same as back then- broad, straight, and supporting a burden Akashi would not have added to for the world.


End file.
